Shiftable steering-wheel.



E. H. VINCEN1.

SHIFTABLE STEERING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. le. new.

Patented J uly 1G, 1918.

2 SHETS-SHEET 1.

.W mi 1 f INVENTOR E BY f 7 ATTORNEYQ UNITED STATES i 'i iw `tl| fu i t 1A EDWARD 'Hi VINCENT, oir` Dumont, MICHIGAN, 1

i SHIF'IABLE STEERING-WHEEL,

1,272,582. Specicatton ot Letters Patent. Patented July 16, 1918.

yTo 1.22 whom it 'nm'z/ concern.' 1 i i e it known that l. llhnviuin El. Vmunnn fcitizen of the United Staten, and residing Detroit, in the emlnty offWayne and State l"`Miehigan, have invented n. new find lm- "Ifprdi'ed Shiftnhlo Steeriligv-llVhoel, ot' which from een the fnl'ltning' is :i Specific-tt ion.

"The present invention relates: to Slnfinhle 'steeiin r wheels for motor vehicles, more' pui 'tl'clllzll' v lo the` (time (il wheels in wht/wh the.

eleiiizinre fer the driver is obtained h y u. swinging mmexnenl of the spider mid rim in le-ipeel. it.: tinA Steering post. frmng ihn lm-tei fatture# nl" the inwvllion :m imm the hitter in :he ippvr e shapes or si' :lo .ippheii (n steering stifling oi' :mi mi dilltrlit :i piu-t mimtinrtion having' `il.lio'li'lionizil :mis oltfwt frein the axis el the Sflfngmst tfiigether with menne otl'evti pivot eonstim'tzon Whtehlgf the Spider may he iidwstred or from the :wie

inc-es of thi..l head of, the poet; eert-nin ini prorenients in the nient rcmstrimtmi; eertnin imprnveniente :n the hitch meehzimsm rwhet'el'iy zi plutztlity of spaced hearings zu l formell for the ending 'ginr'lm und innert-e in t Fig. e

'Figi i), l0 und ll. are V,tif-Yi?, NW end limit, respectively, et'

the'hend for receiving the Unimet of the lulh. The. intention nlm (foin-:ists in the dw tuile of Conf-tmeting Shir-vin doi-.ffi'ihed und planned.

Fi. e gli@ Steering* .Himft l (whim nppeirs onlyY in FigheF (i and 7l muy lu" of :my suitable se" .head i2 tinitinelndml the forwardly extending frni and 'has rigidly nmimfwl thereon u webs fflzind the gruss hill.' -l by' whirl: the from;

ends of the nehs 1re `joined The rims han' (Fig. l) is hellen' and :ieri-Mew' the pivot 5, the ends ol' Whith eltteinl into the webs 6 Application filed March 16, 191'?. Serial No. 155,154.

that fire '(1. part of; the spider. Included in the pivot. sire' the cap screws 8 whereby the wehe may he. d rn wn more o1' less tightly intr, engitgisinent with the corresponding feces of the heed. Pressure of theeap screws on the wehe (i is erdimirily suliicient to cause-.the pivot to turn with the spider, but the ends of the pivot may he split at 9 to allow the oep Screws to expand said split portions in "the here in the spider to insur, this action if dedrcd.

The webs merge at their top edges into horizontal thingrs il), and both webs and define nre runtinnt-d fmsome dietenee tu the. :wir fit' the heed; they are also brought whether iront and rear und extended to the rim thimtgfl'i ther medium of the undivided ends il. in @thi-,r Words, the ends ll to grethei" with the webs and flanges constitute two nlined dividedspokes or arms of the Snider und together inclose a. substantially revtnugulm- Space in which the head is received und in which clearance is provided for the steering poet'when the wheel is tilted. The webs 6 are connected at a point rearwardly from the pivot by means of a firms holt' l2 and inner and outer mits 13 und let, and the wehe 3 are eut away as indicated :it (to allow full swinging action), whereby hearing :wens :1re provided opp0- frite the is et' the steering post and whereby the w= :my he readily adjusted toward or from the heed :it these points to insure :i iii-@per engagement. Other arms 16 of any ih-rw? n soothni extend et right` angles le the middle in the double Spoke 6-10-11 und merge with the Webs 6 in perforated huesos i8 (Fig. 2)`

indicate hollow plugs that are inserted in the perforntions in the bosses and `hefte their inner ends bored out to form fiiidw For the barrels 21, of internally threaded hitch heads 22. The inner ends of the hitter ure also preferably bored out t0 reeeiv@ the springs 23 whose other ends are femm-:d in the botti-m1 0f the bores in the pluge. Latch rods 24, slidable through'bearings in the` outer ends f the plugs, are thrmnlefl into the corresponding head 22 until .-i proper relative adjustment is secured, an'd..

may he retained therein by cross pins 26 that are driven into holes drilled transversely through the latch heads and rods after the latter are adjusted in the heads. Rotation of the rods relative to the plug is prevented by cross pins 28 receivedluin(slots 29 in the lugs, but the same result might obviously Secured by making the rod and bearing of non-circular cross-section. The ins,I and slots have other functions in that t ley limit the movement of the latches toward the head when the wheel is in non-steering position; also in that the arrangement of the. pinel in a plane parallel to the plane ot' the wheel stitt'ens the rods and renders unnecessary close, correspondence between the external diameter of the rod and the internal diameter of the bearing in the plug. 1n order to .prevent the plugs from working loose, pins 30 are, pressed into holes,4 drilled transversely througi the bosses and into the plugs. The

ends of the latch heads are preferably truste-conical, and their end t'aceal are in- .clined downwardly and inwardly. From the above it will he seen that the latch is sup- )oi-ted in two `epaced bearings (one for the head and one for the rod) and is therefore very rigidly maintained in propo alinement.

The head is, ot' course, provided with sockets 32 eorreapoinling to the latch heads, and the lower side portions of' the head taper downwardly opposite the steering postl as indicated in Fig. 2. As the head and Spider are ordinarily Iliade of raz-it aluminum, said Side portioin: are grooved to receive the hard (preferably brass) faeings 33 that are placed in the molds before the. metal is poured. Anchor pins 3l may extend inwardly from the facing, and one or more of the edges of' the tacings may be tapered to extend into the metal of the head, as indicated at 35, to secure a iroper bond.

It heilig understood tliat thc right Side ot' the Spider and rim is swung downwardly from the. plane ol the paper to obtain clearance (Fig. l), it. will be seen that, as the wheel is swung back to Steering;r position, the latch heads contact with the hardened ine elined surfaces of the inserts and are forced outwardly against. the spring 225, and finally snap into the correqionding sockets. The wear. both when the wheel is in steering osition and when it il@ being swung to or irom auch position. comes on the hardened inserta.

lt is desirable also to mill out the. fares ot'v the, webs 3 around the axia of the pivot. and to interpone hard washers 38 between said faces and the webs (5.

For the purpose of insuring lubrication of theI pivot (which turnl in the head) the erosapieve k1Y is cored out to form a chamber 39 to which oil may be squirtcd through a hole in the name plate. 40. (')il may also he upplied through holes l0 to the interior of the plugs 20.

In order to render the wheel an nearly aa possible ot' general application. the head muy be bored out. (Figs. (i and 7) to receive an interchangeable bushing il (that may he split as shown) the inner surfaciot' which tapers or otherwise conforms to the end of the particular steering shaft 1 to which the wheel is to be applied. A key 43 prevents relative rotation of the bushing and shaft, and one or more wins t4 have a like ofl'iee in respect to the bualiino and the spider. (Jbviously the pins 44 may he replaced by a. threaded connection between the bushing and the head.

The embodiment shown in Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, differs from that just described mainly in that the right side of the rim and Ispider (Fig. 8) is swung upwardly instead of downwardly to secure clearance. (This construction ievordinarily applicable only to wheels which are not surmounted by engine control meehauism, whereas that previously described mayY be applied to either type). Consequently the upper Side p rtions, instead of-the lower. are tapered inwardly as shown at lli. Inserts i8 correspond to the inserts 3?.. lult are, of course, reversely arranged. This allowhl the uae ot' a head 2', Snuiller than the` head 2.

In this instaure the webs it), which replace the webb4 (i. are preferably joined by a 0rtion 5l) whieh eoneeals the. head and sti ens tlnI `apider. The cross bolt 51 is located on the aide of the axis of the steering post opposite the pivot. The latch mechanism is the same as previously employed except in a slight. difference that the latch head is rotated 180 in respect, to the rod to incline the outer tace of the latolrto correspond to the difference in the incline of the face of the head. The latch mechanism on one side ot' the head is also omitted. In both cases, the upturned end 52 of the latch rod lice` just below and slightly inwardly from the rim, and affords a very convenient grip for the hand.

modified form ot pivot consistingr of a holt 53 having a reduci-d threaded end the base ol' which is inset lslightly trom the w-b when the parte are positioned is shown in both Figs. .3 and 1.1.

The details ol" construction may obviously lle hanged within considerable limits without depui-ling' l'rom tlnl yapirit oit the invention; l do not, therefore. wish to be limited except as indicated hy the anbjoined claims.

l claim:

l. ln rovnliuiation. a shaft, a head fixed to the end thereof' and having a Socket, a 'pider tiltahhl ou the heath Said Spider inphnling il ho hiring a perforation in subtanlial aliuement with said4 socket when` the spider is iu steering position, a hollow) plu;r t'or the 4weitet. the opening in .the plugl hein; ol greater cross section in its inner 12 portion than in itev outer portion, a lat/ch` a compression spring pocketed in thc plug whereby the latch head normally held in the socket.

2. In combination, a steering shaft for a motor vehicle, a head secured thereon, said head having side faces, a spider, pivot meaiis for connecting the spider to the head, said pivot means including means whereby the degree of pressure exerted by the spider upon the head adjacent the axis of the pivot means may be determined, and means spaced from the pivot means for independentlyY determining the degree of pressure exerted between the spider and said side faces at a point a considerable distance from the axis of the pivot means.

3. In combination, a steering shaft for a motor vehicle, a head secured thereon, said head having side faces, a Spider, pivot means for connecting the spider to the head, said pivot means including means whereby the degree of pressure exerted by the spiderI upon the head adjacent the axis of the pivot means may be determined, and a cross bolt parallel to the axis of the pivot means for independently determining the degree of pressure exerted between the spider and said side faces at a point a considerable distance from the axis ofthe pivot means.

4. In combination, a Steering shaft for a motor vehicle. a head secured thereon, said head having side faces, a spider, pivot means for connecting the spider to the head and a cross bolt spaced from the pivot means for determining the degree of pressure exerted between the spider and said side faces at a point a. considerable distance from the axis of the pivot means.

5. In combination, a steering,r shaft for a motor vehicle, a head secured thereon, said head having side faces, a spider, a pivot rotatable in said head for connecting the ried, and hardened Washers `being rotatable in the head, said spider to the head, the axis of said pivot being removed from and at right angles to the axis of said steering shaft, said pivot includingr means whereby the pressure between the spider and the head may be vainterpos'ed between the head andthe spider.

GL In combination, a steering shaft for a motor vehicle, a head secured thereon, a spider, a pivot extending through the head for `connecting the spider thereto, said pivot head having an annular chamber surrounding an intermediate portion of the pivot for supply-v ing lubricant thereto.

7. In combinatioma steering shaft for a motor vehicle, a head thereon, a spider tiltable on the head, a latch carried by the spider, said head being formed of relatively soft material and having a socket therein for receiving said latch, said head including a hard perforated face plate surrounding the entrance to said socket and having a surface inclined to the latch and arranged to be struck by the lat-ter as the spider swings to steering position.

8. In combination, a steering shaft for a motor vehicle, a head fixed to the upper end thereof, said head having a socket therein,

a spider tiltable on said head, Said spiderA including a boss having a perforation in substantial alinement with said socket when the spider is in steering position, a plug for the socket, said plug bein hollow, a latch slidable in said plug to and from the socket in the head, said latch including a latch rod and a` latch head of greater cross-sectional area than the rod, said head being supported inspaced guides formed in the plug.

EDWARD H. VINCENT. 

